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Govt. greenlights interim housing programme for 1000 Ditwah-displaced families
View(s):By Dilushi Wijesinghe
The Government this week greenlighted an interim housing programme for 1,000 families displaced by cyclone Ditwah, following Cabinet approval of a proposal by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Defence Minister, amid continuing shortages of rental accommodation in affected districts.
The move comes in the wake of extensive damage caused by landslides and flooding, with official figures indicating that 6,088 houses were fully destroyed and a further 115,179 partially damaged. As of April 22, the government said that 494 families remained in 20 safe centres across four districts, while many others have been forced to seek shelter in temporary structures or with relatives.
Despite the introduction of a Rs. 25,000 monthly rental allowance for displaced families, authorities acknowledged that the scarcity of available housing in the worst-affected areas has limited its effectiveness, prompting the need for an alternative interim solution.
Under the approved plan, temporary housing units will be constructed for families currently living in shelters in Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts. The initiative will be carried out in accordance with a housing plan prepared by the National Building Research Organization (NBRO), with labour support provided by the Tri Forces.
NBRO Director General Dr. Asiri Karunawardene said the distribution of the 1,000 housing units would prioritise the most severely affected districts, with 545 units allocated in Badulla, 151 in Nuwara Eliya, 150 in Kandy and 45 in Kegalle.
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